Following the recent arrests of two juvenile suspects in connection with the fatal shooting of three teenagers in Ocklawaha, the Marion County Sheriff’s Office is offering a cash reward for information that leads to the arrest of a third suspect.
MCSO deputies are looking for 16-year-old Tahj Brewton. According to the sheriff’s office, Brewton should be considered armed and dangerous.
On Thursday, March 30, shortly after 10:50 p.m., MCSO deputies responded to the area of Forest Lakes Park on SE 183rd Avenue Road in Ocklawaha in reference to an injured female who was laying on the side of the road.
Upon arrival, deputies located a 16-year-old girl, later identified as Layla Silvernail, who had been shot. She was transported to a local hospital in critical condition, and she was later pronounced deceased.
The following day, at approximately 7:55 a.m., a 17-year-old boy was found deceased on the side of the road in the area of SE 94th Street and SE 188th Court in Ocklawaha. He had sustained a fatal gunshot wound. According to MCSO, his name has not been released at the request of his next of kin.
On Saturday, April 1, at around 12:40 p.m, the body of a third shooting victim, 16-year-old Camille Quarles, was found in the trunk of a 2015 Chevrolet Cruze. The vehicle was partially submerged at the edge of a pond in the area of Malauka Loop and Malauka Loop Trace in Ocklawaha.
In a press conference that was held earlier today, Marion County Sheriff Billy Woods announced that two suspects have been arrested: 12-year-old 12-year-old Christopher De’l Atkins and 17-year-old Robert Le’Andrew Robinson. They are both being charged with first-degree murder.
The third suspect, Brewton, remains at large. In partnership with the United States Marshal’s Service and the Florida Sheriff’s Association, MCSO is offering a cash reward of up to $10,000 for information that leads to the arrest of Brewton.
In addition to being wanted in connection with these homicides, Brewton has active juvenile custody orders – the equivalent of arrest warrants in the juvenile justice system – for several felony offenses, including carjacking with a firearm, aggravated assault, grand theft of a motor vehicle, fleeing or attempting to elude a law enforcement officer, and tampering with an electronic monitoring device. These crimes are not connected to the ongoing homicide investigation.
If you have any information about Brewton’s whereabouts, the Marion County Sheriff’s Office asks that you call the Crime Stoppers of Marion County at 352-368-STOP (7867), and reference 23-22 in your tip.